Muneris
by monicawoe
Summary: written for the dark bingo prompt: "ritual sacrifice"


Philip was loyal. He had been loyal to a fault as a human, and that trait had become his defining feature as a demon too. He served Azazel with every thought and every deed. So when Azazel told him to watch over Sam Winchester, _the future Boy King_, it became the focus of his existence.

Azazel sent Philip to Sam when he was seven. It was Philip's job to make sure he made it to and back from school every day without incident. He was vigilant - always keeping his eyes (whichever set he was borrowing that day) on Sam. Sometimes he'd slip in a classmate and watch Sam discreetly from the bus and then from a neighboring desk. Sometimes he'd take over a teacher, and make the lesson plan of the day just a little more exciting. He was always careful though - he never got carried away. He had to remain undiscovered, or he'd lose this most trusted position.

Sam's life was a dreary one - even a demon could see that. His father hunted, his brother helped his father, and Sam...he didn't know the half of it yet, but he would soon. Philip's mission was to keep Sam safe, so he took every threat seriously - even the ones that he didn't quite understand.

On Sam's birthday (Sam hadn't told anybody, but Philip knew - he knew everything about Sam), his class went on a field trip to a zoo. Sam was the happiest Philip had ever seen him. He got the feeling Sam had never been to a zoo before. Philip watched Sam smile more than he ever had - while he watched the lions with awe, laughed at the monkeys, and looked into each and every display in the house of reptiles. He was particularly fascinated by the snakes. The day had gone well, and Philip relaxed his borrowed body into the seat behind Sam on the bus-ride back to school. However, their teacher let the students 'vote' and the class decided they should all stop for a late lunch before returning to school. They went to a fast food restaurant. That's where it all went wrong.

Sam went to the pay-phone to the side of the restaurant, right by the giant, plastic golden arches declaring ' _over a billion sold_' and called his brother. Philip didn't want to draw attention to himself so he went inside with the rest of the class, and stood in line to get food.

A few minutes later, Sam entered the restaurant and headed for the bathrooms in the back. He passed several tables covered with leftover food, hats and noisemakers. Balloons were tied to the chairs. There must have been a birthday party earlier.

"Jesus Christ kid, watch where you're fucking going!" a man yelled.

Philip took a couple steps back and craned his neck so he could see what had happened.

A man dressed as the restaurant's clown mascot, came storming out the bathroom hallway and slammed the door as he left the restaurant through the rear exit. Sam stood by the bathrooms looking shell-shocked. After a minute, he walked to the bathroom slowly.

* * *

><p>Philip walked past the bathroom hallway and out the back door. He saw the clown pull a pack of cigarettes and a lighter out of his pocket and head for a car in the corner of the parking lot. Philip concentrated, put his gracious host to sleep, and left the body.<p>

He possessed the clown just as he opened his car door. Philip closed the car door again, took a deep pull off his cigarette, turned and headed down the street until he reached the gas station. He calmly walked over to one of the gas pumps, doused himself in gasoline, and set himself on fire. He left the body before it had burned completely, giving the man plenty of time to scream

* * *

><p>"Hi." Philip said, taking a seat at Sam's table.<p>

Sam had picked the table furthest back, away from the crowd. He looked miserable

Philip pushed one of the two happy meals he'd bought over to Sam.

Sam looked up and his eyes widened, "I can't pay you back for this, I - I thought I was gonna eat at home." Sam looked down at his hands.

"It's okay." Philip said. "I got you chicken nuggets."

Sam smiled weakly, "Thanks." He opened the box and started eating the french fries.

"That guy was a jerk."

Sam's breath hitched and Philip could tell he'd been crying. "Yeah, he was." Sam said.

"You don't have to worry about him anymore. He's gone now." Philip said and smiled at Sam.

They ate in silence for a few minutes until the teacher told them it was time to head back for the bus.

"Hey Sam - " Philip said, when Sam stood up.

"Yeah?"

"Happy Birthday."

* * *

><p>Azazel was furious with Philip. The first rule - the <em>most important<em>rule - was to remain undiscovered. He told Philip not to talk to Sam anymore. Philip begged Azazel to let him keep his post. He'd keep his distance, but he wanted to protect Sam. Azazel agreed, but promised Philip that he'd cease existing if Sam became aware of him.

Philip watched from afar and made sure Sam was safe. Every year, on Sam's birthday he made a sacrifice in Sam's older Sam got, the more Philip became convinced he would be a great leader one day. It wasn't any one event that convinced him - there was just something about Sam.

He watched Sam stand up to other kids twice his size. He watched Sam fight back against his father's will and forge his own path. He watched him leave his family in pursuit of his own goals. Philip's loyalties slowly shifted away from Azazel.

When Sam's powers started to manifest, Philip knew it would just be a matter of time before he embraced his destiny. On Sam's birthday he watched the sacrifice burn and said, "You're meant to lead us. You _will_ lead us, I _know_you will."

Sam died - stabbed by another human, and Philip watched Dean mourn. Dean brought Sam back in exchange for his own _soul_.

When Dean killed Azazel, Philip didn't care. He still watched over Sam, always from a distance. On Sam's birthday he watched the sacrifice burn and said, "You'll be our leader someday, Sam - better than Azazel ever was."

When Ruby allied herself with Sam, Philip ground his borrowed teeth and wanted to stop her, but knew she was stronger than him. He couldn't keep watch over Sam anymore. She would've sensed him. Dean was dragged to Hell and Sam called out to any demon that would listen, Philip wanted to answer, but he couldn't do anything to help. One day later, on Sam's birthday, he watched the sacrifice burn and said, "If I could get your brother back for you, Sam, I would."

He felt Sam pass by a few times during his year with Ruby. His powers were growing stronger, but he was more miserable than he'd ever been - even after his brother came back. On Sam's birthday he watched the sacrifice burn and said, "She's lying to you Sam. Nobody should ever lie to you."

Sam freed Lucifer and Philip despaired. He'd been a believer, just like Azazel, but he didn't want Lucifer to rule Hell. Hell belonged to Sam. He didn't want Sam to become Lucifer. On Sam's birthday he watched the sacrifice burn and said, "The crown should be yours, it should be _yours_, Sam."

Sam said _yes_to Lucifer and for a moment, Philip nearly lost faith...but then Sam threw himself and Lucifer with him back into the Pit. Philip watched from afar, in the body of a crow. He watched and waited until Sam's brother left the old graveyard, and then he landed on the Earth where Sam had fallen. On Sam's birthday he watched the sacrifice burn and said, "I know you'll come back Sam. You're meant for greater things."

* * *

><p>Sam did come back. Sam came back and Philip was so overjoyed he nearly ran over and introduced himself, but as he got closer he sensed something was wrong. Really wrong. He was certain of it when Sam went to interview a witness at a fast food restaurant and didn't even give the hideous plastic clown sitting on the bench a second glance. This wasn't Sam. It was Sam's body, but it wasn't him. After Sam left, Philip took the clown statue and burned it. It wasn't Sam's birthday, and it wasn't Sam, but Philip burned it anyway, just on principle.<p>

Philip watched Sam from afar, fascinated, waiting for some sign of the real Sam. When Sam did return it was by Death's hand. Philip was relieved, but knew that something still wasn't right. Sam didn't remember Hell. He wasn't whole. Months later, Sam's angel friend broke his mind and Sam forced himself back together again. He saw Lucifer, he saw Hell, and he wasn't who Philip remembered. On Sam's birthday he watched the sacrifice burn and said, "Sam, what have they done to you?"

Sam and Dean were in trouble. They were trapped in a warehouse, cornered by _leviathans_, of all things. The brothers were fighting, bleeding and exhausted, when Philip found them. He flowed in through the air vent and saw one of the leviathans open his hideous mouth wide, about to devour Sam. Dean screamed, locked in battle with another leviathan.

Philip didn't know what would happen. He figured it wouldn't be good, but he just couldn't let it end like this. He forced himself into the leviathan's mouth, into its mind and fought for control.

The leviathan stumbled back, surprised, confused and _offended_. Sam was stunned, but snapped out of it and lopped the leviathan's head off with his machete. He turned to Dean's attacker and dispatched him just as quickly. Sam stood over the two leviathan bodies, watching the black ooze leak out onto the floor.

The head Philip was in rolled over just enough for Philip's eyes to land on Sam. Sam picked up the head and stared at it. Philip tried to get the mouth to work, but the leviathan blood was toxic. Philip felt himself dissolve - he was stuck and he was deteriorating, second by second. He smelled fire.

"Burn it." Dean said, handing Sam a bottle of lighter fluid.

Sam kept staring at Philip _(what was left of him)_. He tossed the head on the floor, and doused it in lighter fluid. He lit a book of matches and let it fall.

Philip felt himself burn, and hoped the sacrifice would be enough.


End file.
